You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you. Not necessarily in the court of law, but by people. These people are your family - husband, wife, parents, siblings and in-laws. These people are your friends and neighbors. Most of the scuffles that take place in life are due to the verbal exchanges between you and them. You certainly cannot force the other person to exercise his rights, but you can surely exercise your own.

You have the right to use your time in the way you wish. You do not have to be bullied into an hour long conversation that you do not wish to have, nor do you have to be interrupted during dinner. You have the right to use your answering machine, to eat in peace and to drive safely without taking calls and responding to texts.

You have the right to privacy. You are not obligated to divulge information you do not wish to share. People will and do ask the most intimate questions, such as, "When are you getting to start a family?" You do not have to answer such questions.

You have the right to remain within your budget. It is up to you to decide what you need in life and what you do not need to have. It is not your obligation to live in a five bedroom house with a pool just because your siblings and friends do. They are not going to help you with the mortgage payments.

You have the right to create the kind of life you want for yourself. All your friends are moving into bigger homes, but you want to move from a big house to a smaller one. Go ahead and do it. A spiritual retreat is not the kind of vacation your colleagues and friends have in mind, but it means a lot to you. You do not have to explain your preference or apologize for it.